A Veteran's Story......Arion

Many years ago I had a friend named Yuri (he was half-Russian) who had served in the Vietnam War. Like a lot of vets, he had a lot of stories, and I always enjoyed hearing them. Recently I found out that Yuri has since died (cancer), and so, as a tribute to his memory, I'd like to share one of his tales.

It was Autumn of 1967, and Yuri was a green private in South Vietnam. He'd been assigned to a base out in "the bush." Like a lot of young soldiers he just followed orders, and did what he was told. He saw that discipline at his base was loose, but he tried to hold up his end of duty. That was what he'd been trained to do.

About two weeks after his posting, his sergeant called to him and said the lieutenant had a job for him. The base commander, a major, was convinced that Charlie (the North Vietnamese Army [NVA]) were going to try to infiltrate the area. So, Yuei was going to stake out the main road and watch for the enemy. Yuri was given a rifle, pack, canteens, and a radio and told to guard the road about two miles away. Yuri picked up his rifle and equipment and trudged off, one lone soldier against the entire NVA. But, that was his duty, and orders were orders.

He set up his post in so bushes about ten feet from the road, checked his rifle and then tested the radio. It didn't work! He looked in the pack: no food! He had canteens of water, though, and he figured he'd be there for a few hours and then be relieved by someone else. He was still waiting for relief, twelve hours later! But, duty was duty, and he stayed at his post, pinching himself now and then to stay awake. He had to guard the road! The next day it rained, and that keep him awake. He drank the rain, and saved his canteen water.

Finally, on the morning of the third day, he intercepted a jeep coming up the road to the base. He leaped out to challenge the newcomers and then snapped to attention when he saw that it was a colonel, a major and a sergeant of the US Army. They were inbound on a snap inspections tour. Yuri explained his assignment and he truthfully reported no enemy activities. The colonel praised him for his dedication to his duty and asked if there was anything he could do for him.

"Well, sir, I could use some food. I haven't eaten for three days."

The colonel gasped and looked at him in astonishment. "But what about your radio? Why haven't you called in for supplies or relief?"

Yuri shrugged, and said, "It didn't work when they gave it to me, sir."

The colonel promptly relieved Yuri of his duty and ordered him into the jeep. Then; the four of them drove into the base. The colonel jumped out and grabbed the nearest soldier and ordered a full assembly--all soldiers on display! The base commander appeared last, and he was drunk! The colonel busted him on the spot and ordered him arrested. Likewise the lieutenant who had ordered Yuri into the jungle in the first place. The lieutenant tried to justify the order on the grounds that the major had been paranoid about the enemy attacking, and that his being able to say that he had posted a guard solved the problem. The colonel screamed back that one man had been in the jungle without either food, radio or reinforcements, and would not have been able to do much at all. "But he held his ground! That man is worth ten of you!"

The colonel called out Yuri's name and promptly promoted him to Corporal. The captain of the base was promoted to acting-major and told to assume full command of the base. "I'll have your rank fully instated before the day is over."

Yuri never saw the old major or the lieutenant again, but he never forgot the incident, or the fact that simply by doing his duty he had earned the respect of an officer.

It didn't, but it was one of a handful of war stories from a man I always thought of as my older brother.

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